The Forgotten
by Domination of the World
Summary: /Season five/ To be of Chosen blood, one must prove themselves worthy of the title. Darkness will reign and darkness will destroy, but our heros still live, harnessing the gifts of a power far greater than they are capable of understanding...until now. Spova, Chinmay, Possible CanonOC
1. And so It Begins

The war had begun.

The next swarm of formless marched their way to the doors of Shuggazoom city. The people had evacuated long ago, knowing that their home would become the battle ground for the war. It was safe to say that both good and evil were at a stalemate. The shear size and velocity of Skeleton's King's army was enough to conquer and fight against the smaller but more skilled Hyperforce and their allies.

The sound of the intercom glazed Chiro's ears. "We are in position, kid." The red monkey's voice said through Chiro's communicator.

"Roger, Sprxs. Take them down!" A few seconds later, a group of planes past Chiro's spot on the shoulder of the Super Robot. The fist rockets and brain scrambler had both been disengaged in preparation for a stealth-bomb attack.

The red monkey sat in his fist rocket, flying closer to his target with each passing second. "Gibson, is the second wave prepared to fire?" Sprx asked. The monkey team decided to break up their aerial assaults into three groups.

"Yes, Sprx." The blue monkey was in the center of his formation, a few miles behind Sprx, while Antauri was just about to set off behind Gibson.

"What about you Antauri? Third wave set to launch?"

"Indeed we are." The silver monkey pressed the launch code on the ships key pad and grabbed ahold of the controls. "Third wave prepare to take off," he said over his mic. The roar of other airships sprang to life around him. Among them was Suupa, Aurora Six, and a few other allies who were skilled in flying. With Antauri in the lead the took to the skies.

Sprx stared on as he closed in. The bridge leading into the city had not gone unharmed; it had suffered damage from previous fights. However, after this attack it would no longer be standing. "We're closing in," he said to his squad. "Firing in three, two, one…"

The bombs were dropped and the missiles were fired. The first part of the bridge along with the formless crossing it had been destroyed. "Clear the air for Gibson!" Sprx's group flew away as Gibson's fleet dropped their bombs on the second part of the bridge. However, instead of just formless, other machines began to catch the scientist's eye. Larger, more ferocious machines were walking across the bridge.

"Sprx, do you see what I'm seeing?" The blue male asked his red brother.

"Unless formless ooze fried my brain then I'd say so!" Sprx looked down in horror as he saw the boxy replicas of the Super Robot from Professor Maezono's laboratory march their way across the bridge and into the water. "There still coming! Gibson, contact Chiro and let him know we are going to need heavy artillery at the coast of Shuggazoom."

"Will do, Sprxs," said Gibson. He then prepared to fire a distress sequence to warn the others. It was at this point in time that Antauri let out a yelp in pain.

"Antauri, are you alright?" Sprx had just noticed that the silver monkey had gone awfully quiet over the intercom. He turn on his monitor to display his silver brother on the screen. What he saw was Antauri in a half-meditating state.

"Sorry, Sprx, but I suddenly felt a disturbance." He grabbed his head in pain again. The pain was mind-numbing and was causing his ears to ring. He felt he was in the middle of an exploding mine field. His gaze turned to wear the explosion had just taken place on the bridge. "Someone is trying to mind link with me. It's distressful, like it's in trouble."

"It's not Chiro or Captain Shuggazoom?" His blue brother asked. Antauri nodded no. "They are the only two other people we know currently on this planet that can do such a thing. So who could it possibly be?"

"No matter. We must find them. The pain sharpened after you launched your attack Gibson. It must be down there." Antauri was referencing the sea wreckage that was floating in the ocean abyss. "Gibson, can you do a Bio-scan?"

"Already on it," the blue simian smirked. He looked on his scanner. "Scanner is picking up life signs about a hundred feet off the edge of the bridge."

"Can you zoom in?" asked Antauri, who had also just called off his attack on the massive structure. Gibson nodded and proceeded to focus in on the person who was floating in the ocean. When he finally got a good look on his monitor, the blue monkey's mouth went agape.

"Hey, Brainiac! Would you mind sharing what's got you tough-tied?" Gibson absentmindedly pressed the button that displayed Sprx the information he wanted. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Well I'll be….what should we do, Antauri?" The red one asked.

"An invasive rescue mission," he replied. "Sprx, you and I will distract any remaining enemies in a two hundred yard radius. Gibson, you are in charge of retrieving her body." Gibson nodded silently. "Ready, Hyperforce go!"

They dived. Sprx and Antauri aimed for any armed formless while Gibson landed and reached the girl's floating figure. He acted quickly but approached her form with caution. He came in two feet of her body, reached out slowly, but then was suddenly caught off guard when she lashed out at him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the water, wrestling him into submission. Gibson was fast though, and with a kick to the chin she had released him. While she swan vigorously to the surface for new-found breath, Gibson brought out his drills. "Maybe some nice tranquilizer-darts will make you cooperate." He shot her square in the back; screams could be heard as she fought to resist the electrifying slumber. Her body once again fell limp, but this time for good. Gibson gently grabbed her body and moved it into the fist rocket with him. In the next ten seconds he was in the air and away from the battle grounds.

"Is she alright Gibson?" Antauri asked as they flew back to the Super Robot.

"I had to subdue her into submission, but she is fine. I'll have to give her a better medical look over once we get back to the robot however." Gibson responded, a hint of edginess in his voice. Neither Sprx or Antauri overlooked it, but both preferred to stay silent on the matter.

"Very well. Sprx, contact the others and tell the others to activate the shield upon our arrival, as well as prepare the med lab for full-time use." That was the last command given before their return home.

* * *

Nova, Chiro, and Sprx each sat in the corner of the medical laboratory while Antauri helped Gibson work silently on his newfound patient. Otto had yet to arrive. He was currently making sure the self-defense system that had once been defective was now working properly to keep any Skeleton King threats outside of the city. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the old defense system was the best way of momentarily protecting the city while the allies restocked and rested for the oncoming battle.

"Well, I've reached my final diagnosis. She's sustained a concussion from when I hit her in the head, or possibly from the debris that fell after our attack hit the bridge. Her one leg is broken, followed by several fractured ribs and muscle groups on her upper torso..." Gibson rambled, stating his complete verdict of the patient's medical condition.

"So are you saying she's gonna live, or not?" Sprx said, cutting his brother off.

Gibson became red in the face with annoyance. "Yes….she will, Sparky!" He said the red's nickname with new-found venom in his voice. For once, Sprx didn't respond right away. Gibson actually scared him! The room fell quiet, as all eyes turned to the blue monkey. "Look, I'm sorry if I hit a nerve. I didn't know you were so close to the edge. Is something wrong?" The red-comedian locked eyes with his brother. It was a rare moment to see blue and red getting along, more or less showing each other compassionate concern. The blue monkey shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Sprx, everyone. I'm just sort of jumbled by the change of course in these recent events."

Gibson turned to Antauri as he began to ask the scientist a personal question. "Does it have to do with the appear of this woman before us?" The blue scientist nodded.

"It does, but I don't feel comfortable talking about it without Otto here. It sort of deals with both of us, and he has yet to see her face."

"What about me?" Otto asked. The Hyperforce turned their gazes to the doorway where the green mechanic stood. He slowly made his way over to the others, smiling his goofy grin as he always did, but he did not think twice to look at the contents that laid on the medical bed before him.

"It seems an old friend from our past has chosen to show themselves once again," said Gibson to his green companion. Otto finally then took notice of the person lying on the table. His reaction was much less restrained than Gibson's. He stared, long and hard, at the figure before him. He absorbed in the details of her brown hair and battle gear that Skeleton King had forged for her. After giving the mechanic a few minutes to process the situation, everyone turned to look at the blue scientist. "Now that Otto has arrived, I believe it is now appropriate to discuss this matter." He looked to his green brother to make sure it was alright to continue on. Otto gave more or less a wave of his hand in confirmation as he continued to stare at the woman before him. Gibson cleared his throat. "Anyways, this particular female was our teacher back when I was first discovering my love for science and Otto for his love of machines. Her full name is Chameel Keruki." The rest of the Monkey Team looked at Gibson with wide-eyes. He was one who never spoke much of his time before protecting Shuggazoom, but he had to have gained his massive knowledge database somewhere.

"So she was you teacher?" Nova asked mainly at Gibson, as Otto was to out-of-it to really listen to the conversation. "Is she as smart as you then?"

Gibson nodded. "In the areas of medicine and bio-mechanics she surpasses even my own. She created a device that allowed one to learn at an accelerated rate."

Sprx laughed. "I was wondering how you got so smart, so quick, Brainstrain. We were gone for like five years and yet you came back with the intelligence of someone who might have spent their entire life slaved away at the books!" Gibson smiled at his brother, and took to looking a his past mentor once more. The blue monkey looked the woman over tentatively, still unable to comprehend how over sixty years of time could not age a human female by a single day. Sure enough she should have been the Captain's age by now.

"Is she going to be alright?" Gibson turned his attention to Otto. He saw the look of worry on his face and sighed.

"It seems she can't recall any past memories, Otto, because I am sure she would have recognized me on the battle field. She attacked me without question. Skeleton King must have erased her memory somehow." Otto frowned; this was not the news he had hoped for. "Don't worry, I'll find out what is wrong with her eventually." Gibson smiled, trying to reassure the mechanic that everything would be alright. "I suggest we move her to the healing chambers. There isn't much more I can do for her right now." The others nodded, and slowly made their way to the other side of the lab to the healing tubes where Captain Shuggazoom was also still residing.

* * *

Meanwhile in Skeleton King's castle…

"You have done well, Valkyrie." Skeleton King turned to the mechanical intellectual who was standing proudly in the corner. "The reprogramming seems to have been successful, and the monkey team has taken her to their robot as planned."

"Master, if I may intrude, but it was my work to re-interpret the original blue-prints that made it possible for her to even accomplish this feat in the first place," said Professor Maezono. He did not take well to being overlooked, especially since he had volunteered his experiments for the evil overlord's cause. This Valkyrie had to have been tracked to a far end of the galaxy in order to be persuaded to join Skeleton King's side.

The stranger laughed a cold, evil laugh. "Please, do not degrade my accomplishments because I simply achieved what you failed to do by yourself." Whether she was referring to her robotic body or the blue-prints he didn't know, but both struck a nerve. The first more so than the last. Both scientists were silenced with a loud clanking of the overlord's staff to the floor of the castle.

"Silence! I will not have you too arguing in my presence. Get back to work on your designated duties, and if I hear a single complaint out of either of you I will be sure to deliver suitable punishment myself." With that he began to walk away, having other matters to attend too. Valkyrie simply smirked while Maezono began to swear up a storm.

"See ya later, Brain Boy." With that last comment, the mecha walked in the direction of her own quarters, leaving a very angry Maezono to plot his partner's demise.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you so much to pikurosonai00 and ANTAURIfan for being my first reviewers! Please keep them coming, as it lets me know that people are actually reading my work and like it as well! On another note, I just want to digress that just because I am having a couple OC's enter the picture, doesn't mean this will be a horrible story. There are many plot ties that need to be made and frankly if I thought Ciro Neil was not going to bring in any other characters then I would totally abide to that trend in the series, but he has introduced new characters in the past almost in every episode, and I really want to give this series a thoughtful ending in which things make sense and many questions are answered. Remember to REVIEW and look out for chapter three! Thanks again for reading and I look forward to hearing from a lot of you!**

**Sincerely,**

**Domination of the World**


	2. Old Faces

Chiro waited silently in the healing chamber room. He often came here to think and clear his head, as most of the robot was being used as living quarters for their allies. It had been about half a day since the woman was found and the shield activated. Today's battle had been a turn for the worse. While they had successfully broken the bridge, news of Maezono's assistance in helping Skeleton King was bad. To say the least..._very bad_. It would seem he was recruiting outside parties in order to aid his side. How many of them he was not sure, but Chiro suspected their was more than just Maezono working for Skeleton King. They hadn't heard anything about Scaperton, and for all they know Krinkle could have somehow survived the explosion. There was also rumors of people raiding galactic prisons all over the galaxy, meaning more forces for both good and bad may be working their way toward the city. What troubled Chiro the most however was that he could sense that this battle was not just on Shuggazoom, it was happening in places all over universe.

Antauri often spoke of balance; good would always be accompanied by evil, but the corruption of the Power Primate had upset the balance. Now the whole universe was being thrown into chaos in order to reestablish the equilibrium. What puzzled Chiro was that even though the Power Primate had been used to unleash the Dark One Worm, it should not have just disappeared. Such an amount of pure energy was simply lost? Chiro didn't think so. Gibson had said that he thought the usable energy had simply been used up, contributing to the overall entropy of the universe. While Chiro respected the scientist and his views, something in his gut told him that wasn't the case. The Power of Primate was an energy of life itself. It promoted creation and protected the balance between good and evil. It's existence was fundamental to all living things. It's destruction then, in theory, would lead to the destruction on all mankind.

Chiro shook his head. He had thought enough about the end of the world for one day. He turned to glance at Captain Shuggazoom in the healing chamber. Removing him from the healing unit right now would ultimately lead to his death. The sight of the Hyperforce emblem on the Captain's battle suit made him think about his time with the Monkey Team, and how it was on this day four years ago that he had first awoken them from their slumber. He chuckled as old memories flooded back from his first days with the team, which mainly consisted of pulling pranks and finding ways to get out of training. He was no longer the immature boy he once was, he realized; he had come a long way both physically and mentally. He was seventeen now. He hadn't changed much physically except for his hair being more untamed and his height a few inches taller, but on the inside a young determined spirit was awakening. Chiro could feel it. Was this a message that he was ready to fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One? He doubted it. Things were never that simple. Antauri had told him many times that even he did not know his purpose in inheriting the Power Primate. He looked up as he stood outside said monkey's door. He had been walking while going through his thoughts.

The silver monkey floated peacefully on a platform in the center of a moat of water. His thoughts made it swirl gently into a slow tide. He opened his eyes as another presence entered his room. Chiro stood in the doorway, worry written on his face. "Is something troubling you Chiro?" Antauri asked.

The teen nodded, taking a seat across from Antauri. "I've been thinking, a lot, trying to deal with everything that is going through my mind." The second in command sighed. The war, his training, and the stress from leading an entire army would be very taxing for someone in Chiro's position. Antauri motioned for him to continue. Chiro took a deep breath. "During intermissions I've been focusing, meditating, doing the exercises you've taught me into strengthening my connection with the Power Primate. Focusing has allowed me to break different mental blocks prone to hindering my abilities, but something different happened recently."

"Would you mind explaining more of what you saw, or felt?" He asked Chiro.

"I had been trying to break down one of my toughest walls. I could feel it on the verge of breaking, and so I pushed myself through the pain until I succeeded. However, after the wall cracked something changed. It felt like my very being was being pulled into the center of a spinning black hole. I felt lost, away from reality as we know it. Where I was time stands still, time doesn't tic. I simply floated there. It was somewhat like how Sprx described what it felt like for him when he was possessed by the Fire of Hate. I was falling into a pit of darkness with no way to escape. It took me what felt like weeks to break a hold of its bond on my subconscious, but when I woke up it only had been a few minutes."

Antauri folded his arms, disturbed by the things Chiro was telling him. "It sounds like what you are experiencing is spiritual, not mental, Chiro." The boy looked at his mentor, slightly confused. "The spiritual journey of the Power Primate is specific and unique to each individual. I for one could give you an account of what I experienced and discovered, but it would only confuse you. You must make sense of these things yourself. Do you remember anything else? What allowed you to remove yourself from the darkness?" Chiro though back, only nothing came to him. The darkness had simply let him go, if that were possible.

"I feel like the Power Primate is trying to tell me something that I don't even know about myself. There was a reason behind my choosing; it was not just some random occurrence that it chose me of all people. I have a connection to Skeleton King, but I'm not sure what it is." Antauri nodded in understanding.

"We all do, Chiro. Somehow, someway. Only time will tell." Chiro sighed, accepting that the only solution was one that he would have to wait for.

* * *

Gibson for once was not in his lab, but rather now in the remainings of Shuggazoom's central park. The blue simian was concerned for Otto's well-being, and frankly some fresh air was what his brother needed. He suggested to finally take the much needed trip to scavenge for the old parts that Chiro had them to do earlier this morning. Suupa had decided to join them because he had been working in the lab with Gibson when the green monkey had walked in with his crest-fallen face. Otto had chosen to investigate another end of the park, leaving Gibson and his frog companion Suupa to talk amongst themselves.

"What's wrong with Otto?" Suupa had finally asked. The blue amphibian looked at his friend with a worried look.

"He's in a bit of a shock from our unexpected visitor. The girl we found in the last battle turned out to be an older mentor of Otto's and mine." Gibson replied. Suupa eyes widened in surprise.

"You never mentioned studying under anyone by the name of Dr. Keriki?" Suupa was indeed intrigued by this new information. The blue monkey was one of the few people he trusted. They had often talked about their past experiences, and had found some congruencies in places in which they had chosen to study.

"She really wasn't as much of a mentor as she was a friend, one of the more main reasons Otto gravitated towards her as a mother figure. About a week after the others were activated, Otto and I awoke in her presence with no memory of our past. She told us not to be alarmed, as the others had already left and were undergoing training. This soothed us, as while we didn't remember anything before our memory swipe, our knowledge of the others had not been forgotten. She ended up taking us back to her home and tutoring both Otto and I in basic mathematics and sciences."

"Do you know where she lived in the city?" Suupa asked logically. "If you can remember her name then I assume you can get information on her whereabouts." Gibson shook his head.

"She lived in a large modern mansion on the edge of the city, but we tried that already. Otto and I remained in contact over the years after our tutelage under her ended. I asked him if he had talked to her after we had left and he said that she had severed off all forms of communication. We came back a few years later to find her home destroyed and all documentation about her missing. It was almost like she never existed." Gibson finished, a sad frown forming on his face.

"And so her random appearance made Otto even more depressed because it seems it is highly unlikely that she remembers either of you." Suupa concluded. Gibson remained quiet as he went about digging through a pile of debris. "Are you upset about this? Otto seems to be taking it much harder than you." Suupa asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I looked up to her as my teacher and mentor, but I knew even then that our stay with her was temporary, so I prevented myself from growing to attached. Otto though isn't as logical as me. He let his heart guide him instead of his mind, like he does most of the time. Though it's not a bad thing by any means, it just shows the difference between our two personalities and what we were willing to sacrifice once it was time for us to leave."

Suupa began to help the blue monkey lift an unused rocked into the storage tank of the fist rocket. "I imagine things will be interesting when she wakes up." Suupa said after they were done. Gibson could only nod in agreement as he noticed Otto flying back towards them. The green monkey landed a few feet in front of his brother, deactivating his jet back.

"I found a few parts on the other side that we can reuse." Otto said, pointing in the direction he had just come from. Gibson and Suupa nodded and joined Otto on their journey to recollect the parts they needed.

No words of Gibson and Suupa's previous conversation had been brought up on the return trip with Otto.

* * *

His body remained immobile, but unknown to the Hyperforce the Captain's mind was thinking a mile a minute. His stasis gave him time to reflect on previous memories, some more happier than others, as well as think over things that the Alchemist had told him a long time before his transformation.

The regret he felt was unmeasurable. It seemed no matter who he got close too, he always ended up letting them down.

"I'm sorry, my friend."

As a hero he rarely made mistakes, and fought to avoid making them the first time around, but as the reality of situation began to come back to him, his guilt from all his experiences began to mush together. Things he hadn't thought about in years, decades even (he was stuck in stasis for sixty years), had suddenly began to rise once again from his conscious. As his mind cleared and settled on fact from fiction, he finally realized that his regret was not from failing one friend, but two.

* * *

It pains me to think that this planet faces the fate that it does. It was fate and destiny that bestowed the ultimate battle between good and evil upon this planet and its people. It was that man who brought this ultimate hell upon our land. It was he who corrupted the forests and outer areas surrounding the city. It was my friend, the Alchemist, who betrayed this city and its civilians that I protect.

He was a Guardian of the Gale, a portal to another dimension filled with a variety of creatures known as the Dark Ones. As the sole guardian on duty, it was his job to keep the Dark Ones from braking through to our world. He did this by setting up a barrier. The barrier prevented creatures from either side of the portal from entering the other's world. However, the Dark Ones are powerful, and after much persistence, were able to break the barrier on their side of the portal and escape when ours was weakened. The Dark Ones then corrupted him, turning his pure soul into one of hatred.

I knew of the predictions he spoke of: an imbalance in creation, the destruction to preserve life, and the rise of a Choson One. Since these were signs about the future, my friend had taken steps in order to reverse the damage and destruction he knew would come. I helped him of course; I brought him useful tools and weapons from battle I had won protecting the city. When I also had spare time, I would fly out to his secluded lab and bring him his favorite snack: coffee and donuts.

As time continued, I noticed that the Alchemist was befriending some of the surrounding wildlife. The day finally came when he confessed to me he had "adopted" a group of colorful monkeys that had recently snuck into his lab. He went on to introduce me to each one: Antauri, the calm and affectionate; Gibson, the observant and quite; Otto, the creative and clueless; Nova, the strong and confident; SPRX-77, the comedic and laid-back; and Mandarin, the bold and immature. It wasn't long before the monkeys had become regulars at the lab. The Alchemist slowly formed a connection with each, especially with Nova.

It was during one of my visits when the Alchemist asked me to do the unthinkable. He had decided to visit his home planet for a few weeks, and had asked me to watch over his simians. As you can imagine, I, a man of upmost charm and cleanliness, could not simply drop all of his heroic duties to babysit six wild animals.

I must have not been clear enough, because the next thing I knew, I had six monkeys running around my house! I was also without my spaceship, since my friend needed a ship with warp drive, massage chairs, and extra living quarters, which included an extra bedroom. I didn't know why he needed an extra bedroom. I asked him why his ship wouldn't be alright for his vacation; he said that it was too small for a trip of this length—he needed his space. After persuading me to let him borrow my ship, he had taken off, leaving me in charge of his six monkey friends.

My friend did not return for twelve weeks. When the ship landed unexpectedly in my garage on a late Tuesday night, I hopped right out of bed and put on my robe. The Alchemist stepped out of the ship, and I embraced him in a brotherly hug. We said our hellos, and then I escorted my friend to the living room. I failed to notice, however, the extra presence that trailed behind us. When I went to fetch my friend some coffee in the kitchen, the stranger had made their way into the dining area without me knowing. I turned the corner expecting only one person to be sitting on the couch, when in fact, their was also another. I almost dropped the contents I was carrying when I saw her face. I gasped, "Chameel..."

"Hello, Clayton." She said with a smile on her face. I quickly went up and grasped her in a hug. Her hair was longer than what I remembered, but her eyes still held the same generosity I had known her for since our youth. She was hesitant to hug me back, but she did, and I was overjoyed.

"I see you haven't changed much," she said. I laughed.

"Have you ever known me not too?" I replied. She grinned and gave me another hug. This one was much longer and heartfelt than the last. "How long has it been?" I asked her.

"Six, maybe seven years...too long if you ask me. I'm just glad to be home." I stared at her long and hard. Part of me could not believe she was back! Another part me did not want to because I knew her return was not simply to come and see me. My gaze somewhat saddened as the true intention of her visit slowly dawned to me. A bloated silence filled the room. I gripped her tighter, almost to the point of possessive behavior. She flinched, but chuckled. "Clayton, I know your excited to see me, but suffocating me shouldn't be a side effect." Chameel then forcefully broke my hold on her. My childhood friend, although I knew she missed everyone here terribly, could not have rushed back here unless it was very important. Maybe it was the emotional stress of the situation, but for some unknown reason I started laughing.

I turned to the Alchemist, who looked at me with sympathy. "What the hell have you been doing?" I asked in-between small laughs. "You obviously didn't take a vacation. At least now I know why you needed the extra space."

"I know this may be tough for you, my friend, but this is no laughing matter. This is a very important step toward stopping the ultimate apocalypse from unfolding." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Really, then I'm sorry. You know I'm here for you no matter what, but next time can you let me know when you plan on bringing back one of the only living people I have a history with," I said, meaning every word. I turned back to Chameel. "Why are you here anyway?"

She gave me crestfallen look. "The Alchemist had been tracking me down the past few weeks. We had originally planned on me coming back later, but apparently things are progressing at a faster rate than expected."

"I had asked Keruki if she would do me a favor." The Alchemist cut in. "I am well-rounded in many areas of science, but Bio-mechanics is not my speciality, so I asked her to take a trip in order to find more information on that particular field. She has also been learning magic if I am not mistaken." He turned to her for confirmation. She nodded.

Chameel had been working as a doctor before her departure. She always wanted to do more for humanity than just save lives in an operating room. I was guessing the Alchemist had requested her help, considering there were very other few people he trusted whole-heartedly on this planet, she being one of the few. Since the timing was too perfect, and due certain….events at the time, traveling the cosmos must not have only been on Chameel's agenda, but the Alchemist's as well.

"So what do you plan on doing now?" My question was directed to both of them. The Alchemist was the first to answer.

"We plan on beginning the designing of the blueprints for the operation," He said. I remained stoic as he spoke. My thoughts turned to the monkeys. Chameel had met them once or twice before when they were babies, but had been away for the majority of their growth during the past few years. She had also previously mentioned that she wanted as small of a role as possible in our plans against evil. Coming from the viewpoint of a hero I did not understand, but as a mother I guess it couldn't be that hard to comprehend. This is where we disagreed most on things. She fought for her family and closest friends, while I fought for all of humanity. The role of a hero is not easy, but sacrifices must be made.

"Come, Keruki, we have much to discuss." The Alchemist said. He addressed me as he walked away. She gave me a small apologetic wave before her form disappeared from my home and out the door to the Alchemist's lab. Sighing, I returned to bed, hoping that sleep would temporarily take away the events that had just unfolded.

* * *

Nova walked casually to the healing quarters. Her thoughts were scattered mixed in with Gibson's request for her to check up on the woman and the Captain. The door to the room opened with a swish and she walked in. Her focus went to the woman first. All major injuries had been almost fully healed, but it would take her the rest of the night before she would be ready for reawakening.

She then turned to the Captain's chamber. He still remained in the same state as he once was; nothing unusual catching her eye. It was not until she looked at the control panel that she noticed the Captain's heart rate was speeding up at a considerable rate. The yellow monkey looked up slowly at his sleeping form once more, concentrating on his facial features the most.

The Captain's eyes suddenly shot open, and Nova gasped in surprise. "Holy Shuggazoom! Captain, ca-can you hear me?" Her eyes widened as he managed to shake his head. Her last thought was: _'The others are gonna freak.'_

* * *

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Hope everyone enjoyed chapter three, and if you see any areas I might need to fix or need improvement in the please review or send me a private message. I'd like eight reviews, so even if you have constructive criticism, please let me know your thoughts. Chapter four will be up soon. Have an awesome day everyone! =]**  
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**_EDIT: So I went back and edited this chapter again. I thought in some spots the flow was off. Also, I deleted the prologue because I thought it didn't really set the tone for the story that I originally wanted. It made it sound OC centric when if fact this fic is not. _**


	3. The Awakening

"Here, Captain, drink this. It will help you regain your strength," said Antauri, who handed him a glass. The Captain drank slowly, but finished and nodded his head in thanks.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Nova.

"Much better, thank you," he said directing his attention to the golden female. "But, may I ask what happened to the two who attacked me in the Alchemist's laboratory?" The rest of the Hyperforce sulked at the mention of Valina and Mandarin.

"Unfortunately they were able to resurrect the Skeleton King. They used the cloak from his laboratory as the essence from his past life," Chiro answered. "We are now in a full out war…" Chiro's voice faded.

At the mention of Skeleton King's resurrection, Sprx's face instantly fell. Nova glanced over in Sprx's direction, seeming to be the only one to notice his sadness.

"But Mandarin is still with Skeleton King," Chiro continued, "And Valina is supposedly dead. He killed her the second he was revived." The Captain's eyed widened.

"What provoked him to do such a thing? I imagine she was one of his most trusted followers." It was this statement that made everyone in the room go quiet, except for Sprx.

"He's evil, the definition of it. Do we really need a better reason?" He spoke darkly.

"But he's our creator, Sprx." The red monkey turned to look into the bubble-gum pink eyes of Nova, which held worry for not just the Alchemist, but him as well. "We have to believe that there is still some good within him."

"No! We can't. We've made that mistake before. Appealing to the good in a person only works if they have any good left." He argued.

"But he's our creator, Sprx." She shot back. Sprx opened his mouth, about to say something in response, but he shut it after receiving intimidating glares from both Chiro and Antauri. He shot back his own displeased look before shying away, taking a particular interest in the medical room's floor. There would be time to talk about it later.

"So far Skeleton King has trapped us in the city behind our defense grid, but we have evacuated the citizens, and our allies are patrolling the city as we speak." Antauri stated, breeching the Captain on the current state of war affairs.

"What of Otto and Gibson? I do not see them here with the rest of you?"

"They're currently going out to recollect old parts that we could potentially reuse. Supplies is very limited here ever since the war started," Chiro answered.

"How long has it been going on?"

"About two months."

The Captain let out a chuckle. "I really need to stop taking such long stasis naps, wouldn't you agree?" The others smiled, being grateful for the protector's much-needed humor. "But in all seriousness, do we have a plan?" All eyes fell back to Chiro.

"Gibson discovered a cavern in the Savage Lands that goes pretty deep under sea level. In this small section of its outskirts we could possibly drill our way into the foundation of the castle. Our plan was to elude him into attacking the city, while we and a small group of our most powerful allies breach the fortress through the cavern into the Pit of Doom, and then up into the castle to confront Skeleton King."

"But what about the defense grid you guys told me about. It would seem he is closing in at an alarming rate, and it would take you more than a few hours to reach the cavern and drill a tunnel. He would suspect something the instant you weren't in the city." Before Chiro could respond, the intruder alarm went off, and all hell broke loose.

"An intruder?" Sprx quizzically asked.

"It's her!" Nova exclaimed, as the others began to reach the same conclusion.

The Captain was confused. "Who are you talking about?"

"We found an old friend of Gibson's and Otto's in the sea wreckage," explained Nova. "She was in her healing chamber next to you at the time you woke up.

"I must not have noticed." He stated. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't really recall any memory of being in the healing chamber, or the couple hours after he had gotten out. It was all a blurr. "What is her name?" He asked, mentally preparing himself for the answer he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

Like a tidal wave, shock overtook the Captain's entire body instantly. How long had it been? In reality it had been decades, but for him it only felt like a few years. He vaguely heard someone asking him if he was alright. He shook his head, hearing the voices of Gibson and Otto walking in startled to see him awake, but there was no time to dwell on past acquaintances. He quickly came to the conclusion that he couldn't change the past, but he could do everything in his power now to change the present.

"We have to stop her," claimed the Captain with newfound determination. Chiro nodded.

* * *

It was in her instinct to run. Nothing about her surroundings was familiar. The sound of pursuing footsteps were blocked out of her mind by the rambling thoughts in her head. _'The voices,'_ she thought. _'THE VOICES!'_

And so she ran.

She ignored them. They told her to stop, reevaluate her situation, and find away to deliver the item her master desired; fulfill her mission.

"What mission! I don't know what you want!" She yelled, still running aimlessly through the halls. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Other voices filled her head as well, telling her to run. RUN.

And so she kept on running.

Images past before her eyes. Memories? Her memories? She did not know. There was fire, lots of fire…

"Hey, it's okay. We won't hurt you." This wasn't one of the voices, she quickly realized. She ceased her attempts to escape. His grip on her was firm, but everything else about him - like his voice - was soothing. Looking up she saw a boy with black hair and blue eyes. Those eyes….

And then there was blue.

"Chiro…," the name subconsciously made the way to the front of her mind. The teenager was slightly taken aback. This was only going to make things that much more confusing.

"Ummm, yes, thats my name," Chiro answered, smiling an awkward grin. The rest of the team rounded the corner to find the woman in Chiro's arms on the floor. He had to have tackled her to the ground. The Captain instantly looked at her. He was expecting an old woman near his age, but instead there was a young woman near the age of thirty that had been running frantically through the halls. Her brown hair was the same length as in his memory, but her eyes held a different sparkle. They were the same color hazel, but lacked the assurance he remembered she was known for.

"Is she alright?" Asked Antauri. Chiro gave the second in command a worried look, in which he responded by approaching the unstable woman cautiously. "This won't hurt," he assured, placing one of his metallic hands on her forehead. A very soft glow emitted from his fingertips, causing the woman's figure to instantly relax. She opened her eyes.

"Do you know your name?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No, but the voices do." She whispered.

"What voices?"

"They tell me to tell you my name is Chameel, but if that is fact I do not know." She answered with honesty. The Hyperforce exchanged looks with one another, and then looked at Gibson, who seemed to know the most about mind illnesses.

"It could be that she is suffering from an identity crisis because of her amnesia, and as a result has expressed her confusion in the form of different personas within the confines of her mind." He stated. "Or there is also the very possibility that someone messed with her mind by giving her another person's memories." His eyes turned to his old mentor. "Chameel, if you would allow us to escort you to the med bay, we could look you over. Then we can get you some food and you can go to sleep." Gibson reasoned. "Does that sound like a good idea?" She looked around and saw the concern on his face. She nodded.

"Yes, a nap sounds nice…"

About an hour later, Chameel had calmed down considerably, acting like what others thought to be her normal behavior. Gibson had given her some anxiety medication to calm her nerves, so she wouldn't be able to hear the "voices" for some time and could sleep easily. She ate like she hadn't eaten in days. The Hyperforce watched wide-eyed as she downed her fourth helping of Sprx's soup. She finished, wiped her mouth on the napkin provided for her, and then handed her empty bowl and silverware to the red monkey. "Thank you. It was scrumptious." She smiled. He took the bowl, still confused on how such a small person could eat so much soup, and took the dirty dishes to the kitchen. After Sprx returned, she sighed and looked over each person in the room with a compassionate gaze. "I suppose you have questions for me." They all nodded, but Antauri was the first to speak.

"Well, we have some information for you first." At this Chameel flinched.

"I just met you. How could you already have information about me?"

"We understand you cannot remember your past," Antauri began, "but upon seeing Chiro you instantly knew his name."

"It was his eyes," she said. "I have seen them somewhere."

"Do you remember where?" She shook her head.

"What about these two?" Antauri questioned, introducing both Otto and Gibson. After much conversing and summarization of details, it was apparent that Chameel remembered neither of the two monkeys. The Captain remained quiet, believing this wasn't the time to try and make her remember past promises.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you are referring too." Otto's face fell. She did not remember visiting him in the workshop at her house. It was a prominent memory, a daily event that happened often when he was with her. If she couldn't remember him from that then it was most likely she didn't remember him at all. Nova placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up and smiled.

"One last thing," Antauri said, "You were able to mentally contact me while you were floating in the ocean."

She thought over her answer. "The voices tell me I have many abilities. Most of which are not in my control." She stated. "I cannot give you any more information than I already have."

"Perhaps with some time you can," Chiro assured. "Both Antauri and I have experience with disabling mental blocks and clearing confusion from the mind. We can help you remember and organize you memories."

"I would like that." She smiled in satisfaction.

"I would think this would be a good time for everyone to get some rest. It's been a long day." Antauri reasoned, to which everyone else agreed.

Gibson walked up to Chameel. "You are welcome to sleep here for the night until we get some better room accommodations in order. You as well, Captain." They both thanked the scientist. The blue monkey then went about making his way to his sleeping quarters.

A sad Otto said goodnight and followed close behind his brother, followed by Sprx, and then Antauri and Chiro. Nova had volunteered to bring their newly awakened guests some clean sheets. On her way back she started recalling the fight that had almost broken out between her and Sprx earlier in their discussion about Chameel. She past his door, sub-consciously stopping in front of it. Before she could stop herself she had already knocked on his door. He promptly answered.

"Sprx…," Nova was waiting for a reply, but Sprx just stood there motionless.

"What do you want?" He said in a hushed tone. She reached out to touch him but he took a step away. "Please talk to me," she said. "You'v been acting different."

"I can't." His lack of emotion was starting to drive her up the wall! This got Nova angry.

"Everyone has been worried sick, including me. Why do you still choose to block yourself off from everybody? We're you friends." In truth, whenever events of the war took a turn for the worst, Sprx got really quiet and would have the habit of returning to his room.

When a few seconds went by and he still did not react, Nova raised her voice even more. "Will you listen to me! You're acting as if you don't care! Did what I say not have any meaning to you?" She was referencing her confession again, and this time Sprx turned to meet her face. He looked at her with a gaze that contained many things: hurt, helplessness, love, and remorse. She took it in with every heart of her being, and was about to reach out to give the simian a hug, but before she could react Sprx was already closing the door to his quarters. Nova stood there for what seemed like an eternity, but then slowly gave up about him coming back out and walked to her own room.

Lying down in bed, she tried to sleep, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the red monkey who somehow had dug his way into her heart like an infectious parasite. She refused to think about him, didn't want to think about him. She had tried and tried again these last few weeks to get her to open up to him, with little success. "Sprx, I can only love you as much as you want me too…"

"You don't understand," Sprx said in his own room. "To get close to you would mean destroying you, and I could never allow that to happen."

* * *

Maezono worked diligently in his new laboratory. The perks of working for Skeleton King greatly out weighed the downfalls. He did not like being overlooked, especially by that notorious mecha. '_What was her name again? Valkyrie?' _But the amenities Skeleton King provided for his followers was tremendous, and so he could put up with the mistreatment. For now, anyway.

"Blasted machine. She dampens everything I've ever worked for!" He typed frantically on the keyboard. Four robotic hands revealed themselves from his cylindrical metal body. Attached to the top was a clear glass container, similar to the one he had original used to house his brain in. Thanks to Skeleton King, he was also able to update his original design by adding a hover mechanism to the bottom, meaning he could now move around instead of being stuck in one place.

"You know, you should really learn to keep your thoughts to yourself. You may never know who could be listening." Maezono jumped, turning around violently to see a figure standing in the shadows. Her eyes burned an angry red. The scientist ignored the girl's taunts.

"I've never seen your eyes do that before." He stated, point blank.

"There are many things you don't know about me."

"Ah, I see." He pressed a button on the mainframe computer, and new light graced the presence of the lab. The shadows dispersed, finally giving Maezono a chance to get a good look at his accomplice. The Cidital of Bone was a dark place, meaning it was hard to get a decent look at anything or anyone. He would gladly take this opportunity to learn as much as he could. He shamelessly looked over her entire form. She wore typical earthing clothes, something he suspected a normal Shuggazoomian would wear. Brilliant green eyes and light purple hair. If it weren't for the appearance of her alloy skin-which she could control at whim-she would appear to be a common middle-aged female.

"I suggest you refrain from insulting me, because I'll make sure to end your existence before you find out anything else." Maezono laughed.

"Please, I don't need your filthy form in order to get what I want. I've already created a new body for myself without any of your help," he said, gesturing to the contents at the center of the room.

"I was not talking about science, Professor Maezono." At this the brain stayed silent. She slowly began to move from her spot in the corner. She walked around, touching this and that, finally approaching the robot in the center of the room. She dragged her fingers across the table, touching what would soon become the Prometheus Six, becoming increasingly entertained in the feel of metal under her fingertips. Brainac, at a loss for words, spoke up in need of clarification.

"It seems we are throwing out accusations, dear Valkyrie. I know nothing of what you are talking about."

"Think again."

* * *

Maezono had first met the Skeleton King before his encounter with the Hyperforce. He had appeared after one of his battles with the Prometheus Five. With no distractions at the moment, the Skeleton King was able to explain uninterrupted telepathically how he remembered this place from his days as the Alchemist.

"You're the Alchemist?" He asked, looking up into a wormhole that was meant to house the Dark One Worm. He was skeptical. The last time he had seen his friend had been over several decades ago, as a full embodied human. The Skeleton King's skull descended through the portal to greet the Professor in the center of his laboratory.

'_Was. That human no longer exists! His corrupted soul and power has been mine for the taking,'_ the skull spoke, directly into Maezono's mind.

"If he no longer exists, then how do you know of my existence?"

'_His memories remain trapped in a deep part of my conscious in which I can access at will. These have lead me to you, Professor Maezono.' _

"I see, but what could I do to help you? As you can see I am merely a brain with no body, and have no real means to escape this infested planet because my own creation threatens to incinerate me if I were to try and leave."

'_Destiny tells me you will have your chance to escape, and have your chance at revenge. That is, if you assist me in plans for universal domination.'_

Maezono contemplated his proposal for a minute. "I will accept if you can promise me a few things. I am in need of supplies to build a new body. If you can provide me with the resources and laboratory to accomplish this and destroy the retched Prometheus Five, then I wouldn't hesitate to accept."

'_Done.'_

"I would gladly lend my services then." Skeleton King smirked.

'_Excellent. Now, there is just the matter of another I need to attend to, in which I will require your assistance. I am on a tight schedule, and frankly I have someone in need of disposal.'_

"Do you wish for me to rid them from the picture?" Maezono asked.

'_No, I will see to it that he and the rest of the planet he has inhabited sees a cruel and destructive end. I need you to track down another such as yourself. She goes by the name of Valkyrie, and is famous like you for her advances in robotics.'_

"So you need me to track her down and convince her to join you?"

'_Yes, that is precisely what I am asking. However, unlike you, I cannot promise her anything that will make her come willingly. She is a tricky one and will try to get you too leave.' _

"What do you presume I tell her if she does not come willingly?" Skeleton King smirked once again.

'_I can assure you, she will come without question after you mention a few key facts...'_

* * *

"She is safe, is she not?" Maezono was obviously referring to her cloning capabilities.

"Do you call being in the middle of a war safe?" She spat.

"With the cosmetic changes you made to her outside, I would say she will be fine for the time being. The Hyperforce will automatically assume she is the one they have been looking for and refrain from damaging her until her job has been completed."

"What makes you so sure?"

"The Hyperforce trust to easily. They trusted me and ultimately would have gone through with eliminating my foe if it hadn't been for the Prototype developing a conscious." She remained silent. "It is a simple task. She will succeed, and when she does we must be ready to continue with phase two. Are the vessels ready?" He asked.

She nodded. "They are in their final stages of development, and will be awakened when the genetic host has been delivered."

"Good, and now if you excuse me, I have more important things to attend to. He gestured to the Prometheus Six."

"What I said earlier still stands, Maezono. In certain ways you have helped me while I have been here, but if you take one step out of line and threaten her I will see to it you never get a chance to live again." She began to escort herself out of his quarters, but stopped right before the main doorway.

"Oh, before I forget, Skeleton King said he is starting early." Maezono turned, now giving full attention to her once again.

"What! It's too soon! We just started!"

"He has them in a spot where they can't go anywhere, and frankly he doesn't want to waste the opportunity." She turned. "I suggest you pack your things, for this castle won't be here by tomorrow night...and what I said earlier still stands, Maezono. In certain ways you have helped me while I have been here, but if you take one step out of line and threaten her I will see to it you never get a chance to live again." Maezono turned around, about to ask why she was so protective over the other female, but she was already gone.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and remember to REVIEW! And I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. I had a major plot problem and couldn't really decide what way to take the story, but I figured it out. =] Also, if there was one character in the Hyperforce you would like to see have a romantic relationship (other than the canon couples), then PM me. I'm thinking about giving Otto or Gibson a little L.O.V.E. Tell me what you wanna see, and I'll take it into consideration when writing the future chapters. If you are confused, then I did my job! Thanks again!**

**Sincerely,**

**Domination of the World**


	4. Blast from the Past

Sprx tossed and turned in his bed, bed rest not coming to him anytime soon. He was tired, exhausted was more like it. The nightmares he was having giving him the only option to stay awake. He took a deep breath, realizing staring at the ceiling wasn't doing him any good, and rose from his sleeping pod.

'_Now that I think about it, this is the third time this week I've gone up to watch the sunrise,'_ pondered Sprx.

The pitter-patter of his feet was the only thing that echoed through the robot as he made his track to the outside.

* * *

The early morning sun rose into the sky. Gleaming brightly and as cheery as ever. The door that led to the robot's shoulder swooshed open, letting another heroic out to smell the fresh air.

Or what seemed like fresh air.

He'd never say it to the team, but he did sometimes wish to be back in his organic shell, mainly for the reason of being able to feel again. He still had senses and bodily functions, but he didn't need to actually eat or sleep. All his senses were also completely cybernetic. You would think pain would be pain, but _cybernetic_ pain wasn't as bad as _real_ pain. Was it weird that sometimes he wanted to feel _real_ pain again, if not just once? Much the same way he'd like to feel the sun on his skin? Or fur beneath his fingers?

"I didn't expect you to be out here?" Antauri turned knowingly, seeing his red companion standing near the robot's neck. He smiled.

"I didn't expect anyone to be up this early," Antauri answered. Sprx shrugged his shoulders.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Do you come up here often?" Antauri asked.

"Not until recently." Sprx sat down next to his friend. His eyes set to admiring the beauty of the sunrise. "Being up here puts me at easy. It's like the sun is calling to me or something." Antauri looked at Sprx curiously. It was the way he referenced the sun that perked his interest. What did he mean by the sun calling for him? Antauri's face then turned solemn, noticing the weary expression on Sprx's face.

"Is everything alright, Sprx? I know some of the others have asked you already, but it seems you've been keeping to yourself lately."

Sprx sighed. "It's…," he paused as he brought his head up to look at the sun. "It's…complicated." He continued to look straight on. When Antauri didn't respond right away, he cast a glance over in his friend's direction. He too, seemed lost in deep thought. "Hey, Antauri." the silver monkey regarded his friend by meeting his gaze. "Why are you up here? You too seem kinda...lost."

"I've been sensing things Sprx, so has Chiro. Chiro came and talked to me recently about some of the visions he's been having."

"...And what pray-tale did he tell you thats got you on the edge?"

"He said he was surrounded in darkness, similar to what you experienced when you were possessed by the Fire of Hate." Sprx frowned. Anything that had to do with that incident he wanted to forget, _tried _to forget.

"Don't remind me." He cradled his arms around his torso, shivering slightly as unwanted thoughts poured into his mind.

"Have you been having trouble sleeping since the incident?" Antauri asked. Sprx nodded in response. Antauri placed one of his metallic hands on his friend's shoulder for comfort. "Things will get better in time, Sprx. Just remember you always have the team." Sprx grinned and chuckled slightly.

"Thanks, Antauri." The silver monkey gave Sprx an affection squeeze of the shoulder before smiling back. A comfortable silence grew for a few seconds before Sprx spoke again.

"I'm taking it you can't sleep either?" Sprx joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't need to sleep," was the silver monkey's unexpected reply. Sprx made a face. It never occurred to him about asking Antauri much about his sleeping habits after his transformation into the silver monkey. He, like the rest of the team, assumed not much really had changed. Antauri made it seem normal anyway.

"Are you serious? Like, not at all?" Antauri nodded. "Wow, I'm sorry. I couldn't even imagine living like that." Sprx said. "What else has changed since you became the silver monkey?"

"I don't necessarily need to eat or drink, but I can. It can use the water as an extra energy source. An internal alert reminds me whenever I need to power down and charge, but those are less frequent and shorter than actually sleeping. I also don't need to breathe or worry about bodily functions. Everything is automatic. It's a completely different way of living." Antauri said solemnly. Sprx frowned.

'_And here I thought I was the only one with problems," _ Sprx thought, looking at his friend. "Do you miss it?" Antauri turned to lock eyes with Sprx.

"Miss what?" He inquired.

"Your old body." Sprx answered.

"I do, sometimes. I guess what I miss most is feeling like my old self. Having a mechanical mind is good for logical thinking, but as a result the silver monkey is prone to more violent tendencies. I look back and see noticeable differences in how I handled certain situations. Before I would try to reason with an enemy, but now I attack first without hesitation. In your case for example, I shouldn't have given up so quickly on you when you were possessed by the Fire of Hate. Luckily for us Nova still had faith in you. In situations like that sometimes logic isn't always the best choice." Antauri looked over at Sprx. A small smile was on the red monkey's face as they progressed into subject matter about the golden female.

"Yeah, if it weren't for her I wouldn't be here right now." Sprx's face then fell. "But I also almost killed her, Antauri." Antauri gazed at his friend in sympathy.

"She forgave you a long time ago. We all did, Sprx." Antauri assured. Still, Sprx looked unsure. "Is there something else bothering you? I can sense you're hesitant to talk about something." Sprx remained silent for a few seconds. It was evident he was debating if he should open up about his inner troubles.

'_What if he thinks I'm going to turn evil again?' _ Sprx thought. He then for the first time that morning looked Antauri straight in the eye. All he could see was concern. No ulterior motives seen on the silver monkey's face. At that moment Sprx made up his mind. He took a deep breath.

"You know how you said both you and Chiro have been sensing things?" Antauri nodded. "Well, I've been feeling it too, but in a different sort of way…" Antauri urged him to continue. "The Fire of Hate is gone, but for some reason, I can't help but think it's still affecting me. I keep sensing dark vibes everywhere, like no matter what I do nothing will make everything right again. It's like there are two sides to me and I don't know which one is the real me. One is the normal Sprx which has hope and is confident we can win this war, and then the other is slowly becoming more like….well, you know." Sprx said, referring the evil version of himself when he was under the influence of the Fire of Hate. Sprx cringed at the thought of becoming evil again and abruptly stood up from his seat next to Antauri. "But no, never again! I refuse to hurt the team."

"Nobody ever said you would." Sprx's figure instantly perked at the mention of those words. Antauri was smiling fondly at him. "We all have faith in you, and so no matter what happens we will always look out for one another."

Sprx cocked his signature grin. "After all, no monkey team member is ever alone." He said knowingly. They both returned to admiring the almost fully risen sun in silence. With newfound reassurance, Sprx let out a yawn, stretching his arms as he did so. "Man, I just realized how tired I really was. I'm gonna head back in. I'll see you in a couple hours, Antauri." The red monkey then sat up and walked back to the entrance on the robot's shoulder, leaving Antauri alone with his thoughts. He closed his eyes, smiling silently as he listened to the detaching silence of the midmorning. As much as he didn't want to admit it, things almost seemed _too_ quiet. Usually birds would be flying, or bugs could be chirping. The darkness brought rest to the eyes but serenity to the other senses, but Antauri could not find the peace he so desperately needed. His mind went back to the conversation he had with Sprx.

_I keep sensing dark vibes everywhere, like no matter what I do nothing will make everything right again._

Antauri sighed. He sensed it too. Something horrible was about to happen. The animals knew it too. He just hoped his gut was wrong for once. He closed his eyes again, basking his senses into the silence of the twilight abyss.

"_So I see the silver monkey was a success…," _His eyes shot open, quickly taking an offensive stance. His purple ghost claws out and ready to attack. He side-glanced from left to right, not seeing anything or anyone, but then suddenly dropped to the ground. The same intense pain overtook him that he had felt in his Brain Scrambler above the ocean. Holding his head he looked up to see a gigantic amoeba-like create in front of him. It was clear and luminescent, but then slowly began to shrink into another form. Black fur and a tail formed, along with yellow eyes.

Antauri's eyes widened as he came face to face with an exact replica of his old body.

The black monkey remained motionless, staring at his silver adversary with no determination or depth. "Who are you!?" Antauri asked, fighting his way through the pain and hysteria to stand and fire an attack. His blue eyes were fogged. He couldn't see, couldn't think. The black monkey dodged with little-to-no effort, knocking the silver simian into the Super Robot's neck. Green claws held Antauri by the neck, as the effects of the mind link began to give him seizure-like spasms.

"Shall I deliver the final blow master?" A feminine voice grazed Antauri's ears. He recognized it as Chameel's. His pupils dilated in realization.

"_Do it."_

One hand covered Antauri's mouth as another transformed into a similar weapon of Sprx's magnets. His screams were muffled as the shock put him into shutdown.

"_Make haste my daughter, for the others will awaken soon. I will meet you on the outskirts of the city."_

The black monkey nodded, transforming once again into a cheetah. Grabbing the limp simian gently in her now sharp jaws she set out over the city, running as fast as the wind itself.

* * *

Not even an hour later, Otto was the first to awake of the team. Rubbing his eyes he slowly made his way to the command center and into the med bay where Chameel had slept. Popping his head in, he saw her sleeping soundly. Curling up into a ball she fumbled in her sleep, mumbling something incoherent about a "Mr. Fluffy." She wrapped the blanket around her much like a little kid would. To Otto, the obsessor over all things adorable, found this amusing and crept in even closer. When his face was only a few inches from hers, her eyes shot open. "Boo!" She screamed, scaring Otto three feet into the air. She giggled and landed on her back. To say the least, Otto was very confused. "You should have seen the look on your face!" She yelled, pointing at the green monkey. She started laughing again, then simmered down. "Hey, Otto." She asked in a higher pitched voice, making her sound like she was six or seven years old.

"Yeah, Chameel?" He asked, making a weird face at being called by his name. _'Didn't she not remember my name at the time she went to bed?'_ He thought.

"Do you wanna play a game!?" She asked excitedly, hopping up and down on her bedsheets.

"Uh, sure…" he replied, not sure how this was gonna turn out. She smiled and jumped out of bed reaching out and tapping him on the shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!" She screamed, running as fast as she could out of the laboratory and into the command center. It took Otto about ten seconds to comprehend that a thirty year-old woman was wanting to play tag with him. He quickly dashed off after his old mentor, thinking of many questions in response to her odd behavior.

* * *

His vision blurred in and out, adjusting to the new almost non-existent lighting of the Skeleton King Castle. He heard the sound of computers beeping and chemicals fizzing, reminding him all to much of the blue monkey's lab. However, his memories deceived him. The laboratory he was in was not one he recognized, and the location made him inwardly cringe in fear. He knew who brought him to the outskirts of the city, but who had met Chameel and had brought his unconscious form to the castle of the evil overlord?

"Tell me, what is it like to have a completely robotic body?" She began, moving into his view and in front of his gaze. She walked closer to Antauri who was being held magnetically to an operation slate. "I must say I was intrigued to see that the Alchemist had successfully completed the silver monkey. I never though he could actually do it." He struggled to become free, but to not avail. "You can try all you want, but those electric cufflinks are highly magnetic. And since your entire body is made of metal…well, I think you get the picture."

"How did you get me here? What do you want?" Antauri demanded through the pain.

"Nothing really. I caught wind from Skeleton King and Mandarin that the silver monkey was amongst the Hyperforce. I simply wanted to have a chat." Antauri did somewhat of a double take. "When I heard them use 'silver monkey' and 'Antauri' in the same sentence then I sort of developed a few theories." She looked at his face. "Last time I checked Antauri was the _black_ monkey, and considering the red simian addressed you as so then I'm assuming you are one in the same. You also haven't stopped to correct me, so then I would say I am in fact talking to _Antauri_. Am I not?" He remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes." She remarked while walking over to the main computer, setting to work on who-knows-what.

"How do you know the Alchemist?" He questioned, thinking it was a safe topic to discuss with this woman he barely knew anything about. He was oddly curious as to meet someone who evidently knew the Alchemist and recognized him before his transformation into the silver monkey.

"I was an old friend of his." She replied. While she absentmindedly worked at the computer, Antauri got a better look at her. He suddenly felt their was an odd resemblance to someone he had seen before. An image of Jinmay flashed through his head while he studied his capturer's older but similar stature, eyes, and odd hair color.

"Has your hair always been that color?" He randomly asked, thinking of Jinmay's pink hair. She met his gaze while subconsciously running her hand through her purple locks. She hesitantly responded, not sure if she should take the risk and tell him the truth. "No, it's been other colors before."

"Like what?"

"Brown." She replied quickly, cocking an eyebrow in response to his followup question. She walked up to where he was laying, her previous work momentarily forgotten. She stopped right in front of him. "Why would you ask me about my hair color of all things? Hmmm?"

"You just remind me of someone I…" He paused. He didn't want her to know about Jinmay. For all he knew she didn't know about her just yet. "...someone I _used_ to know." He finished.

Valkyrie wasn't one to be taken off guard easily. The idea that the monkeys might remember her did in fact cross her mind at one point, but in her current form she thought she would be unrecognizable. "Tell me, do you in fact know who I am?" She inquired, her figure resting on her lip in a questionable manner.

"No, I do not." He truthfully answered. She smirked, he didn't know who she actually was.

"Then you have no right to make assumptions about me."

"I don't need to make assumptions to know that you are working for Skeleton King." Antauri snapped.

Valkyrie dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. "What did I say about making assumptions?" She sarcastically remarked. "You really shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly."

"What could he possibly be offering you to capture me?"

"He hasn't offered me anything. I simply do what I do to keep the people I care about alive."

"And helping Skeleton King destroy humanity will let you achieve that? If he gets what he wants their will be nothing left!" Now there was a question she couldn't honestly answer. She remained speechless. After an uncomfortable silence, she walked back over to the main monitor.

"Call it whatever you will, but I am aware of what Skeleton King plans on doing, and frankly, I don't care what you think about it." Her eyes locked with his, sending mixed messages. Part of him knew that she meant every word she said, but another part of him wasn't sure what she was _implying_. There was that unsure feeling; the same one he had been having since the start of the war and on top of the robot while talking to Sprx. They were intensified around this person. It was safe to say, her next words through him into an even further loop. "I would love to keep chatting with you, but unfortunately I have orders to take you apart. I intend on doing so while my laboratory is still intact." Antauri's eyes narrowed.

"What happened to _just chatting_?" He spat, somewhat out of character. He knew it, he couldn't trust this person.

"I would think that you of all people would understand that Skeleton King and I are two different people. My intentions are different than Skeleton King's, and when I said that _I_ just wanted to chat, I meant it. Frankly, I have a boss now and need to do what he wants regardless of what I think. You won't feel anything anyway. You'll just be put into stasis."

"Why doesn't he just kill me? Why take me and leave the rest of the team alone?"

"You having the tendency to beat death. The only way he can keep you out of the picture is if you're alive but handicapped enough so you can't do anything. As far as the others, his plans for their deaths have already gone underway." She pressed a button on her computer, and the table Antauri was on began to move to the center of the room.

"What is he going to do to the others?" He demanded, struggling to get free. "How are you able to block of my communication with the team?"

She cocked a satisfied grin. "The same way I've been messing with your sixth sense. Your mechanical senses were easy enough to fool. It was you mind that was the hard part." He stopped struggling when a voice entered his head.

"_We are not so different, Antauri. You fight for you friends just like I fight for my family. We fight for the same thing. However, we have lived different lives. Life has brought me down this path, and I intend to follow through with what I think is necessary to protect what is important to me."_

"You have the Power of Primate!"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"How? Are you associated with the fallen Grand Mystic Master Zan?" Her face frowned in disgust.

"Never. Master Zan was a fool. I was never associated with any of the the Grand Masters on Perraladoll."

"Still, is the safety of a few justify the destruction of all of mankind?" Antauri challenged.

"From a logical stand point, no it does not."

"So you admit that you do not support Skeleton King." Antauri hoped.

"Like I said before, we have lead different lives. I've given. I admit to helping the Alchemist and doing good for the universe, but in actuality I could care less what happens to it. No matter what, creation will continue on one way or another. Skeleton King may end this world, but somewhere else there is a thriving existence. You know very well that you cannot have good without bad. And so the question does not lying in 'Is creation worth saving?' It lies in the question: 'Is this lifetime worth saving?' Right now I only wish to make amends so that in my next life I can see my family again." Antauri, sensing a lost battle, didn't say another word. The electrifying buzz of circuitry being taken apart was the last thing he heard before his world went black.

* * *

"Chameel! Where are you?" Otto whispered. It had been about an hour since they had started their game of hide and seek, and she had led them into the Hyperforce's sleeping quarters. He heard a quick giggle and a swoosh of a door coming from the left into Nova's room. He rounded the corner and knocked on Nova's door. Nova greeted him.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," Otto replied.

"Did you loose something?" Nova asked grinning.

"Yeah. It's Chameel. She woke up this morning wanting to play tag. I've been chasing her around the robot ever since." Nova cocked a brow, placing her hands on her hips as she did so.

"Don't only little kids play games like that?" She asked. Otto shrugged, not completely knowing the answer himself. Out of the corner of his eye he then noticed movement under the giant pile of stuff animals Nova had in the corner of her room. They both walked over quietly, tiptoeing over to the pile of fluffy softness. Just as both monkey's were going to pounce the girl into submission, something sprang up from under, sending the once neat pile all over the room.

"Mr. Fluffy!" She yelled in the same high pitched voice. Squeezing what appeared to be a very old teddy bear, was a young child with black hair and wide green eyes.

"B-but th-thats impossible!?" Shouted Nova. "I saw her jump in myself!"

"Otto! Look I found him! I was so worried! Now we can sit down and have a tea party like old times!" The little girl struggled to get out of the mess she made, but happily skipped to her green friend and gave him a hug. "Are you okay? Did Miss Blondie hurt you?" She said, pointing toward Nova in a childish manner. "Back away meanie!" The girl took a defensive stance, standing in between the two monkeys.

"Maya, stop." Otto said quietly yet sternly. Hearing her name, the girl turned her head in a responsive manner.

"Who is she, Otto." Nova asked flabbergasted.

"I...honestly don't know anymore."

* * *

**Phew! This chapter was a bit of a challenge. I knew I still needed to progress the story line, but I didn't want it to seem to rushed. Let me know your thoughts on the pacing of this chapter, as well as some of your theories on what is gonna happen next. If you don't pay attention then this story can get very confusing very fast, so message me with any questions you have! Oh, and to just emphasize how important this is...**

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**We clear? Great! Thanks for reading and keep posted for chapter five!**


	5. Paternal Retributions

"I must say, normally Antauri and Nova are the more _timely_ members of the team. I wonder what is taking them."

"Relax Gibson, I'm sure they have a good excuse for being late." Chiro explained. Gibson, Sprx, Chiro, and Captain Shuggazoom were in the main room waiting for the remaining members of the monkey team.

"Even so, tardiness should not be tolerated." The residential genius crossed his arms in a stern matter.

Sprx rolled his eyes. "Relax, Brainstrain. No need to be so uptight."

"Shut it, Sparky."

It was nice to see some things _never_ change.

* * *

Otto continued to rub his head in frustration. All this confusion was making his head spin. He knew he wasn't the brightest monkey in the banana tree, but this was outright ridiculous!

"We don't have time to worry about this," said Nova suddenly. "We'll deal with her later. Right now Chiro needs us in the Command Center." Otto nodded in agreement and turned his head to look at the woman - now turned child - and gently grabbed her by the arm. He motioned her to follow him and she complied.

"Where are we going?" Chameel asked in their mid-walk to the main room. The alarm kept sounding. "I'm scared." She held Mr. Fluffy close to her stomach and held on closer to the green monkey. She was only a couple of inches taller than him, so it wasn't that awkward.

"Chiro's calling a team meeting, and so were going to the Command Center like Nova said." Otto explained. He smiled. "Don't worry though. With us here we won't let anything bad happen to you." He turned his head back to the front as they broke out in a slow run to the command center. Nova reached it first.

"Otto's right behind me," she said, gesturing to the hall in her rear. "...And he's got a bit of a surprise with him, so don't freak out."

Gibson's thoughts instantly turned to Chameel. "Is something wrong with Chameel?" Gibson asked, medical mode taking over. "I checked all of her vital signs this morning and everything seemed stable."

"Don't worry Gibson, for the most part she's fine, but something weird happened this morning and we aren't exactly sure how to deal with it." Chiro changed the subject.

"Have you seen Antauri?" Chiro asked. Nova blinked in confusion, normally Antauri was never late for team meeting. "Apparently Sprx saw him this morning, but he's not in his room."

She shook her head no. "I haven't seen him since yesterday." Her eyes once again shifted to Sprx. They locked eyes for a split second before he quickly shifted his gaze. Otto walked in at that precise moment.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, but Nova and I had a bit of a detour." It was quiet obvious to who he was referring to by the site of the girl on his arm, still clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

"Otto explained to me that he went to the med bay to check up on Chameel, and when she woke up she started acting like a seven year-old, begging him to play tag with her. She ran off and ended up in my room. When we found her she was in this form you see here." Nova explained. The others stared in awe, while Gibson pondered in scientific fascination.

"Fascinating..." he spoke, walking over to the young girl. He eyed her suspiciously as her green eyes followed his movements. Otto watched him as well. After a few uncomfortable moments under his gaze, Maya tugged slightly on Otto's arm, urging him to come closer.

"Otto, why is Gibson staring at me?" Chameel whispered a little bit to loudly. Gibson and the rest of the Hyperforce - excluding Antauri - all overheard her state the identities of the mechanic and scientist. They all seemed to instantly realize that Chameel now knew who both Otto and Gibson were by name.

"Wait, isn't she suppose to not remember-" Sprx began, only to be interrupted by Nova's elbow jabbing him in the ribs, cutting his sentence off before it could be completed. They didn't want to reveal too much in front of the young girl just yet. They had no idea what they were dealing with here.

All attention turned to Otto, as the rest of the team and Captain Shuggazoom waited for his response to the girl's question.

"Uhhhhh..." Otto was stumped. He warily looked over the faces of his teammates. Chiro seemed the most calm and urged him to not reveal everything about the situation to the small child, but that was expected as leader. Nova's look portrayed confusion, Sprx seemed to not exactly believe what was transcending before him, and Captain Shuggazoom seemed disconnected from the whole situation. It was then he noticed that one of the honorary members was absent. "...Where's Jinmay?"

'_Smooth, Otto. Smooth.' _His conscious responded. The entire team sweat dropped, and Maya blinked, oblivious to the awkwardness her question had brought up. Chiro sighed, this wasn't going to go anywhere. They could sort it out later.

"I sent her out on patrol. She's checking up on the strong holds on each end of the city. We briefly lost contact with the western patrol overnight. Apparently they thought they saw something run from the city and into the woods entering into the Savage Lands." Chiro responded, Chameel's question momentarily forgotten.

"But that area is under extreme guard. Nothing could go in or out without someone noticing." Sprx spoke up. He had a bad feeling about this entire thing, and with Antauri still not turning up for team meeting...He turned and locked eyes with Gibson. Apparently he was thinking the same thing. "Kid, do you even sense Antauri in the robot?" He asked Chiro. The teenage hero didn't like where this was going. In response, the young leader closed his eyes, sending out a message with the Power Primate.

'_Antauri.'_

Each of the Hyperforce members heard the signal in their heads. As quickly as it came it left, leaving a feeling of remorse in the air.

There was no sign from the silver monkey.

"No response," Chiro clarified, his face frowning.

"But...how?" Sprx managed to say. "I literally saw him two hours ago on top of the robot!" His fists clenched. "This can't be happening!" He the suddenly ran over to the main computer, pressing buttons fiercely as his rage slowly began to take its control.

"Uh, Sprx. What are you doing?" Chiro asked the red monkey, slightly put off by his change in demeanor.

"Him and I were on the robot's shoulder at sunrise," Sprx replied, with newfound determination. "He can't be to far." He then took a step back from the main screen as a video clip began to play on the main screen.

The others watched as Antauri sat still for a few moments after Sprx left. All seemed normal, until Antauri hastily took a fighting stance.

_**His purple ghost claws out and ready to attack. He side-glanced from left to right, not seeing anything or anyone, but then suddenly dropped to the ground.**_

His teammates watched helplessly as their second in command was brought down to the floor. "But that's impossible..." Nova said, staring at the black shape on the screen.

_**Antauri's eyes widened as he came face to face with an exact replica of his old body."Who are you!?" Antauri asked, fighting his way through the pain and hysteria to stand and fire an attack.**_

Chameel watched silently at the display. Utter horror was displayed across the child's face. She suddenly felt uncomfortable in Otto's arms. She looked up at the green monkey's face to see he was tranced into looking at the monitor and nothing else.

_**"Shall I deliver the final blow master?" A feminine voice grazed Antauri's ears. He recognized it as Chameel's. His pupils dilated in realization.**_

The girl suddenly stopped moving. Otto fumbled slightly when the girl's legs collapsed underneath her. "Maya!" He exclaimed, and Captain Shuggazoom's eyes instantly shot open. She fell to the ground unconscious as Otto caught her by the shoulders, preventing her from face-planting on the floor.

"Otto get away from her!" Nova yelled standing next to Chiro. Her transformers were out and Chiro was in a battle stance, ready at the slightest chance that Chameel would out-lash at them and attempt an escape. Gibson and Sprx followed suit, while Otto was still transfixed on the girl in front of him.

"Hold your attack." A calm but stern voice said. The Captain's eyes never left the form of the young girl before him. It was impossible, he reasoned, but her name, eyes and hair color all matched up. He suddenly found himself moving from his otherwise stoic position towards the girl in a sudden haste. He knelt down and pierced into her gaze, performing a similar technique Antauri had used on the woman the night before. He was not an expert on mind merges, but he knew enough. In the spilt second the Captain was able to touch Chameel's conscious, he heard a voice.

'_Remember.' _A voice said, only this one was different. It wasn't one of the voice that had originally troubled her mind before she met the rest of the Hyperforce, but it was familiar.

"Antauri..." she repeated out load, recognizing the owner of the voice. The Captain opened his eyes. Antauri mental link with her had been subconsciously kept from the night before. The silver monkey had forced the Captain's presence out of the young girl's mind. The others had heard her speak Antauri's name and were all now closing in around her unconscious form with curious glances.

'_I can't. Something is blocking that memory.' _Chameel thought back. Antauri needed her complete attention if his connection was to remain intact.

'_You need to remember. The others are in trouble, and for some reason you are the only one able to hear my voice.'_

"The others...are...in trouble..." she spoke again, repeating Antauri's warning. Nova didn't like where this was going.

"Okay, someone explain to me what in the world is going on here!?"

"I must remember. I _need_ to remember!" Chameel continued, ignoring Nova's pleas for clarification. _'But what is it I need to remember.' _She grabbed her head in pain and frustration as she fought the own mental barriers in her brain. His name echoed in her mind, at first not evoking a physical response. She pondered it for a few minutes while the rest of the Hyperforce began to panic, a solid memory being evoked from her conscious.

* * *

"Mommy, why do Otto and Gibson have to leave?" Chameel asked, as a young girl.

An older woman stood up and walked away from her desk. The shadows of the room concealed her face. She bent down to pick up the child, who Chameel instantly recognized as Maya. Bending down the girl got a good look at the woman's face. Beautiful green eyes looked down at her. They held sincerity and compassion of a strong, yet gentle maternal figure. Brown hair was long and straight, reaching down to her mid back. She was by no means short, but rather of medium height and curvature. She was rather stunning.

"And beautiful," Captain Shuggazoom would add, if he were here to witness this memory.

"Maya, Otto and Gibson have learned everything I can teach them." the woman said gently, stroking some loose hair out of Maya's face and tucking it behind her ear. "They need experience life on their own, sweetie. It's the only way for them to fulfill their duties to the team." Maya sobs were muffled against her chest as she continued to cry.

"Why does everyone I ever care about have to leave!?" She yelled. The rest of the memory was of Chameel comforting the seven year old until she fell asleep in her mother's arms.

* * *

Her eyes opened, but instead of her normal green irises, two green pools of iridescent energy stared back at the monkey team. It reminded Chiro of how he looked when the Skeleton Drone had invaded the Super Robot in the belly of the Dark One Worm. He had not taken on the glowing green eyes since that incident, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time either.

Antauri's mind link was very weak, almost nonexistent, and yet for some reason only she could hear him. She had figured out someone had messed with her memories, and it was thanks to Antauri's mind melding which allowed her to sort through her memories. What didn't make sense though was she recognized both the older face and younger face in her memory as her own. Chameel's face was Maya's face?

Rather, Maya had multiple faces.

It was at this moment that Chameel realized something. If her memory served her correctly, then she was in fact not _Chameel _at all.

She was Maya.

Antauri continued to feed her images from last night's fight while she reiterated everything she saw to the monkey team - her changing shapes and being controlled. It all made sense.

"Chameel can't be trusted," Maya repeated as Antauri spoke in her mind. "She took me to Skeleton King and a woman name Valkyrie. She is under their control." At this the monkey team gasped.

"They have taken me apart." She added after a moment. Maya started to cry, knowing very well she was the one who had delivered Antauri to the Skeleton King's fortress. Nova covered her mouth in utter horror, while the others were infuriated. Sprx was the worst off, his anger activating his magnets and unleashing an uncontrolled blast of electrical fury. The energy crackled and surrounded him, responding to his emotions. Chiro stood the closest to the red comedian, and was the first to try and calm him down.

"Sprx, stop!" He locked eyes with the young hero before consciously powering down his magnets and clenching his fists instead. Nova had learned from her previous encounter with the red monkey and chose to leave the simian alone in his blind fury.

"Chiro..." Chiro's attention instantly turned to the girl once again. "Antauri says to perform a mind merge." She grunted and held her head in agony. "I'm the only one who knows where Antauri is, but in this current state Chameel can retake me over at any second. I need to clear my head of her influence before it's to late." Chiro nodded, taking immediate strides toward Maya. When a deliberate Captain Shuggazoom intercepted his path, Chiro did a double-take. For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, all eyes were on the Captain.

"While I appreciate the good you are attempting to do, Chiro, I believe this is something I need to do." The Captain said as he picked up Maya, her eyes still aglow. "You see, I haven't been one-hundred percent honest with all of you. I knew Chameel back in my days as good old Clayton Carrington, and recognized her the minute she arrived here in the robot." He placed her gently on the medical table and looked at her form for a couple seconds. "I didn't say anything because I had my suspicions that it might not have been her, or she wouldn't have remembered me." Taking a meditation stance on the ground, the Captain began to concentrate. "I now realize that I was correct. Chameel's spirit is not present within the threshold of this body, rather her mind and psychological self is. I must separate Chameel's memories from Maya's wake." A green ring of energy slow appeared around the Captain, as he slowly began to perform the mind merge. "I have failed those who I care about deeply in my absence, and I will not fail them again. I will explain more when I am done treating this young lady." The old man entered the mind merge state, leaving his audience with a lot of unanswered questions. Still slightly confused, members of the Hyperforce began to exchange weird glances, all except for Gibson.

"I believe now would be an appropriate time to discuss matters Otto could not earlier." Gibson was known as the unemotional in the group, having grown up to sometimes prefer the company of his chemicals than his teammates. However, he was much more knowledgeable on the topic of relationships than one would realize. "During our time under Chameel's tutorage, we were introduced to a young girl. Maya was her name. It turned out that she was in fact Chameel's daughter, blood related I would assume, as the eye color and physical similarities are somewhat profound. However, during our time at the Keruki estate, there was an absence of a paternal guardian." Gibson spoke, walking over to the Captain. The scientist waved his hand in front of his face. He was correct. The Captain indeed could not hear or see anything going on around him as the mind merge progressed. "It came to my attention while were there that she also made a great effort from ever referencing Maya's father or his whereabouts." At this explanation, the Hyperforce's eyes widened.

"So you're saying that gramps over here is in fact Maya's father?" Sprx spoke up, scratching his head in confusion.

"I'm merely speculating the obvious, Sprx, from what I know of Chameel and Maya, and what the Captain just stated before going into his trance."

"Now that ya mention it," Otto added, putting a finger in the air as a thought suddenly registered, "their ages back then would line up! If the Captain was as old as he said he was back in the day before his big sleep, then that would put him around the same age Chameel should have been at the time of the accident." Gibson nodded, agreeing with Otto's statement.

"Excellent point Otto." Gibson said, praising his companion. The green mechanic just smiled his ginormous grin in appreciation. "And I believe once the Captain awakens, he can further shed some light on this situation." The others nodded.

"But what about Antauri!" Sprx shouted. "We can't just sit here and wait for the Captain to wake up. We have no idea how long that will take!"

"Sprx," Chiro began, "Mind merging is much more complicated than it seems. The concepts of normal time and space do not apply. Seconds could be weeks, minutes could be years, and vica versa. I will contact Jinmay and see what she has discovered. Something tells me her patrol did not go as smoothly as we planned." He understood where the pilot was coming from, but as leader he had to act with a sense of reason and logic. "All we can do right now is wait, but when we strike, we'll know how to rescue Antauri and defeat the old bag of bones for good." After a few seconds of staring the kid down, Sprx sighed and began to walk toward his red tube.

"I'll be in my room," he said, before crossing his arms and disappearing up the transport system. Nova held up her hand as if trying to stop the red monkey from leaving, but he was too quick. The others watched as her supposed mate left, while she remained reminiscent on the morning's events with disappointment.

"I'm sure he'll come around, Nova." Gibson reasoned, placing a hand on her shoulder. They locked eyes and she embraced the scientist in a much needed hug. A single tear made its way down her cheek as she took in the much needed comfort.

* * *

**Wow. This took me way longer than I thought to get up on the site. Forgive me for not updating. This chapter was key to explaining many important details, and it had to be done just right in order to give the most dramatizing effect without going overboard with details or unanswered questions. I am actually very happy with how it turned out, and would like to that all those who reviewed, especially Fastern. I have put a major amount of time and thought into these characters and want people to not only enjoy the plot, but connect with them as well. Again, reviews are not expected but very much appreciated, and do help motivate me into updating with better frequency. Merry Belated Christmas and I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! Thanks again!**

**Sincerely,**

**Domination of the World**


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